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Worker protections in the UK compared to the rest of the OECD

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The Employment Rights Act introduces major reforms to UK employment law, with changes being implemented in stages from December 2025 through to 2027.

Employment Rights Act

Individual Options

Issue date

31 Oct 2005

is often defined as working fewer than 30 hours a week but can be any number of hours fewer than the standard full-time hours at a workplace

extends employers' ability to cover long opening hours or longer production
enables employees to better manage demands of family and domestic life with work or undertake training and education
is the most widely used form of flexible working time: over 7 million people work part-time but care must be taken to ensure that part-timers are not treated less favourably than full-timers.

voluntarily reducing working hours for a specified period with pay reduced proportionately

enables employees to manage caring, religious or other commitments, particularly unforeseen situations
v-time periods vary but six months or a year are most common
the organisation retains the employee who is able to return to their job.

enables two people (or sometimes more) to share an established full-time job and receive, pro rata, all the benefits of full-time staff including career progression
allows employers to retain skilled employees in established jobs but with greater flexibility of hours
assists employees to balance work and other commitments
usually requires overlap of job-sharers and a degree of self-management by them.

full-time or part-time employees with children divide full-time annual hours across school term weeks and are on leave during school holidays.

average pay can be calculated over a 12 monthly period.

weekly hours are compressed into fewer days than normal , for example, four day week or nine day fortnight, giving employees a longer weekend.

working from home during normal working hours can give employees flexibility to better manage their workload
enables employees to get away from interruptions at the workplace
employers may need to invest in equipment for employees to use at home
employees will have to have adequate 'office space' in their home
a high degree of management-employee trust must be established first
health and safety regulations must be adhered to.

time off equivalent to hours worked beyond contractual hours can be taken.

There are different ways of taking equivalent time off for working additional hours which is 'banked' for the future, for example :

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